


Your Gentle Touch

by NamelesslyNightlock



Series: Going Down Swinging [46]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Affection, Cuddling & Snuggling, Demiromantic Loki (Marvel), Demisexual Loki (Marvel), Developing Relationship, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Happy, Hugs, M/M, Mindless Fluff, Pining, Public Display of Affection, Romantic Fluff, Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:01:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22829893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: Tony was used to Loki’s affectionate touches, so much so that he didn’t think twice when Loki leant against him on the couch. But from the way Thor was staring, it seemed that perhaps it wasn’t so normal for Loki, after all.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Series: Going Down Swinging [46]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1330490
Comments: 73
Kudos: 858





	Your Gentle Touch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rabentochter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabentochter/gifts).



> You can thank the amazing Sesil for this cute idea ❤︎ and you can find her prompt in the endnotes.  
>   
>  **Prompt** — _“Go back to sleep.”_

It started with little things, things that Tony hardly even took any notice of. After all, it was perfectly normal to clasp each other’s hands after they had won a battle, or to throw their arms over each other’s shoulders, offering support after a long and arduous effort.

It felt _normal_ to shove Loki playfully in the middle of an argument, for Loki to put his hand on Tony’s back as he leaned over his shoulder to watch him work, for them to let their legs press together under the table during meetings or meals.

So the first time Loki started to lean against Tony during a team movie night, Tony didn’t really think anything of it. He even wondered if Loki was starting to fall asleep, but when he glanced down it was to see that Loki’s eyes were still open, still glued to the screen as he rested his head against Tony’s shoulder. Tony merely smiled fondly, and curled an arm around Loki’s waist to hold him better in place, just in case he did start to drift off– but when he looked back up, he saw that Thor was staring at him in confusion. In fact, _everyone_ was staring at them, their expressions ranging from bemused to completely shocked.

Tony frowned at first, not getting why they were surprised– Loki was a naturally affectionate person, wasn’t he?

Except, thinking about it… Tony realised that Loki _wasn’t_.

When they had first met, Loki hadn’t touched Tony at all– it had taken him a while to warm up to him. Tony had thought that Loki was just growing more used to being on the team, more trusting that the Avengers weren’t going to turn around and lock him up out of nowhere– but that wasn’t really the case, was it?

Loki didn’t _do_ stuff like that with other people– not even with Thor. Whenever Thor tried to throw an arm over Loki’s shoulder after a fight, Loki would duck out of the way or shrug it off as quickly as he could, his expression pinched. In fact, Loki seemed far more likely to stab Thor than he was to hug him– and _did_ actually stab him on enough occasions that Tony almost began to wonder if that was just how Loki showed brotherly affection. He never touched any of the others, went out of his way to avoid doing so even– and yet, there he was, leaning against Tony’s shoulder as if Tony had been born to be his pillow.

And, yeah, even _that_ was somewhat new. In the past, Loki had always locked up whenever anyone else was in the room, but when it was just them… it seemed like he just felt _comfortable_ with Tony, in a way that he didn’t with any of the others. And maybe the fact that he was curling up against Tony now meant that he was even more comfortable than before.

The thought made Tony smile softly– and not caring that the others were still staring, he leaned his head on top of Loki’s and drew him in just a little closer, smiling as Loki sighed happily.

Once Tony was aware of it, it was impossible not to notice all the times that Loki acted differently with him than he did with the others. Every time Loki entwined their fingers or ran a hand over Tony’s arm or pulled him in for a hug, it made Tony feel special, made his breath catch and his heart start to race. It wasn’t long before the team stopped staring, before finding them together on the couch with Tony’s head in Loki’s lap and Loki’s hands running through Tony’s hair was normal enough that it did not even cause any of the team to pause in their conversation.

And the first night that Tony was woken up by Loki tentatively stepping into his room, it was almost more surprising that it was the first time it had happened than that it was happening at all.

They’d had a difficult day, a fight that had lasted most of the afternoon and well into the evening. Tony himself had suffered several hits, and afterward, Loki had pulled Tony into his arms and hugged him in full view of not only the whole team, but also of the news cameras which had assembled to watch the battle. They had stayed by each other’s side all during the debriefing and during the quickly eaten meal, and they had both been reluctant to part when the time came to rest.

So as Loki closed the door behind him and stepped toward the bed, Tony hardly even thought about it. He just lifted up his cover and gestured for Loki to come closer– and then that hesitation was gone. Loki curled around him, arms tight and legs tangling together as he pressed his face into the curve of Tony’s neck.

“Are you all right?” Tony asked, his voice a little bleary from tiredness.

“Yes,” Loki said. And he certainly sounded it, the words rushing from him in a low sigh. “I am fine.”

They both relaxed in moments, finding a comfortable position that just allowed them to melt into each other. Tony was just starting to drift off when he felt something that he hadn’t before, so gentle that at first he thought he had mistaken it. But the moment he recognised the feel of lips pressing against his skin, he stilled– and in response, Loki _froze._

“I’m sorry,” Loki said quickly, moving as if to pull away. “I’ll—”

“No,” Tony said, tightening his hold. He knew he wasn’t strong enough to keep Loki there, not even close– but Loki paused anyway, and in the dim light, Tony could see that his horrified expression was turning into something more hopeful.

“Anthony?” he asked.

Tony reached up to gently brush his hand along Loki’s cheek before leaning in to press a kiss to Loki’s lips. Loki froze again, though only for a moment before he started kissing back, their movements gentle and slow. And when the kiss came to an end, Tony coaxed Loki’s head back down to his shoulder, wrapping him in his arms once again and letting out a soft, contented sigh.

“Go back to sleep,” Tony said, stroking his hair. “We’ll talk in the morning.”

“I look forward to it,” Loki replied, turning his head to touch his lips to Tony’s skin again– though this time, Tony could feel his smile.

And as they curled back together and drifted off into an easy sleep, Tony felt more comfortable than he had in a long time.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Rabentochter's** prompt:  
> 
>
>> _Loki is the more affectionate the more comfortable hes around someone So say he barely touches anyone, stabs thor bc that's the only way of showing affection without showing affection Then he gets more comfortable around tony and he starts to touch him Lingering touches, hugs, random hair petting, occasional licking Confused Tony who doesnt know whether loki has a crush (he has we all know it) and just being confused._
> 
> ❤︎


End file.
